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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

De New Kid on the Block - DeDutch Grand Opening

The Windmill

Invited to the Grand Opening of DeDutch, I couldn't pass up the chance to check out what a Dutch pannekoeken really was, since I missed the opportunity while in Amsterdam last month. Along with by faithful bodyguard, @thepolishviking, we were pleasantly surpised to enter the restaurant and find it looked nothing like what we were expecting. As opposed to the typical purveyors of breakfast foods whose space looks a bit dated and sterile, at DeDutch, the space was bright and modern. With yellow, white and orange colors dominating both the walls and the furnishings, it was certainly a welcome change from other drab breakfast joints.

Bright Colors

The kitchen located at the back of the restaurant had portholes which one could peer into and watch the kitchen staff create plate sized pannekoeken with the largest flipper I've ever seen. Meanwhile maps of Holland dominated the wall above the booths, and I quickly pointed out to @thepolishviking where I stayed while in Amsterdam.

I stayed in Jordaan in Amsterdam, near
the Anne Frank House

That evening, the restaurant had 3 of their favorite pannekoekens for guests to sample, rolled up pinwheel style so it could be eaten sans utensils. The abbey perogie consisted of hashbrowns, onions and DeBakon incorporated into the pannekoeken, rolled up with cheddar. It was without sour cream due to the logistics of turning the pannekoeken into a pinwheel. The pannekoeken itself had a nice crunchy texture to it from the hashbrowns and onions. The DeBakon, which isn't bacon at all, but ham as I had read earlier that day from @baconhound's review of DeDutch, was a bit disappointing. I think it could have benefited from the flavor that real bacon has, and would have perhaps made it taste more like an actual perogie, instead of a pannekoeken with potato and onions mixed into it.

Blueberry and Brie Toastie

The Windmill consisted of shaved smoked wild BC salmon and edam, and appeared to be without hollaindaise sauce on this particular evening. The slightly salty salmon and smooth melted cheese worked well together, and I look forward to returning to try this pannekoeken with all the fixings.

The brie and blueberry toastie was probably my favorite dish of the night. With a very toasty and crispy bread, holding back oozing, mild tasting brie, and a hint of sweetness from the blueberries, it hit all the right notes with me.

Overall, it was hard to get a good sense of the food, since some ommissions had to be made for the serving method. From what I did have, it tasted solid, and I'll definitely be making a trip back to DeDutch try out their menu items as they were meant to be eaten.

(Note: There was no financial compensation from DeDutch for this blog post, although they provided free food and drinks. Any review provided by me will completely reflect my thoughts and opinions – good or bad, and will not be swayed by having free drinks and food provided.)